Atlantic cod

대서양대구

A fish of the cold North Atlantic with three dorsal fins and a single barbel on its chin. Big ones reach about 2 m long, and they travel in schools. Every winter they gather to spawn around Norway's Lofoten Islands.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Fish
Lives in: North Atlantic, Barents Sea & Lofoten
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Length: about 1.2 m
Lifespan: up to about 25 years
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
Habitat: coasts, open ocean

Quick answers

Where does the Atlantic cod live?

It lives in coasts, open ocean of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. On the globe you can find it near North Atlantic, Barents Sea & Lofoten.

How big is the Atlantic cod?

It grows to about 1.2 m.

What does the Atlantic cod eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

How long does the Atlantic cod live?

It can live up to about 25 years.

Is the Atlantic cod endangered?

It is listed as Vulnerable (IUCN VU).

The Atlantic cod is a cold-water fish found across the North Atlantic, from the coasts of North America and Greenland to Iceland, the North Sea, the Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea. It can live up to 25 years and usually grows to 100 to 140 cm, though a few over 180 cm and 50 kg have been caught.

It is brown or green with spots on its back and silvery below, and a stripe along its side called the lateral line senses vibrations in the water. It has been caught for a thousand years by northern European fishers who followed it all the way across the ocean. It is one of the most heavily fished species in the world.

The great collapse

Cod supported the American and Canadian fishing economy until 1992, when Canada banned cod fishing. Several cod stocks collapsed in the 1990s, falling by more than 95 percent from their highest levels, and have not fully recovered even after fishing stopped. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable, based on a 1996 assessment, though a 2013 assessment covering only Europe found it had rebounded there. Dried cod is sold as stockfish, and cured cod as salt cod or clipfish.

Where it gathers

In the western Atlantic, cod live north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and around both coasts of Greenland and the Labrador Sea. In the east they range from the Bay of Biscay north to the Arctic Ocean. They live from the coastline down to about 300 metres along the continental shelf, and they become adults between 2 and 8 years old.

Life in the shoal

Cod swim in large groups called shoals, sorted by size. Bigger fish act as scouts and lead the way when the shoal moves inshore to feed. Cod are top predators in the Baltic, though young cod can be eaten by adult cod, and the young hide among cobblestones when predators are around.

When cod were overfished, animals they used to eat, such as American lobsters, crabs and shrimp, became more common, showing how important this predator is.

Fun facts

The famous Grand Banks cod fishery off Canada collapsed in 1992 from overfishing.
Cod can live up to 25 years.
The Canadian cod fishery was banned in 1992.
A stripe called the lateral line detects vibrations.
Big ones can top 180 cm and 50 kg.